Hearing instrument receiver mounting arrangement for a hearing instrument housing
View Patent ↗A hearing instrument and method of assembly are disclosed. The hearing instrument comprises an electronic assembly for providing received sound to the ear canal of a hearing instrument user. The electronic assembly is placed within a chamber in a housing sized to fit within the ear of the hearing instrument user. The chamber includes an internal guide channel and mounting surface for locating and positioning the electronic assembly. A volume encompassed within a hearing aid housing may be analyzed, such as with computer software, to identify a location within the chamber to position the electronic assembly, and then the electronic assembly may be incorporated into the housing using a guide channel and mounting surface of the housing for locating and positioning the electronic assembly in the identified location.
1. A hearing instrument for positioning in the ear of a user, comprising:
an electronic assembly for providing received sound to the ear canal of the user, where the electronic assembly comprises an electronic assembly tube comprising a spline; and
a housing sized to fit within the ear of the user and comprising
a chamber for containing the electronic assembly; and
barrier means for locating and positioning the electronic assembly within the chamber, where the barrier means for locating and positioning comprises an internal guide channel, the guide channel comprising a keyway that mates with the spline.
2. A hearing instrument according to claim 1 , where the electronic assembly tube comprises means for carrying sound generated by the electronic assembly to the outside of the housing.
3. A hearing instrument according to claim 2 , where the means for carrying sound generated by the electronic assembly to the outside of the housing further comprises a tubular pathway.
4. A hearing instrument according to claim 1 , where the electronic assembly tube further comprises an assembly receptacle for electronic assembly.
5. A hearing instrument for insertion into the ear of a user, the ear comprising an ear canal, comprising:
a housing sized to fit within the ear of the user, comprising a chamber;
an electronic assembly for generating sound for the ear canal of the user, where the electronic assembly is positioned in the chamber;
an electronic assembly tube comprising means for carrying sound generated by the electronic assembly to the outside of the housing:
a barrier positioned within the chamber and comprising a guide channel that accommodates the electronic assembly tube; and
a barrier stopper disposed on the electronic assembly tube between the electronic assembly and the barrier, at a predetermined distance from the electronic assembly.
6. A hearing instrument according to claim 5 , where the electronic assembly tube comprises an outer surface, and the barrier stopper comprises at least one of:
a stopper ring disposed about the outer surface of the electronic assembly tube; or
an elevation integral with an electronic assembly tube disposed about the outer surface of the electronic assembly tube.
7. A hearing instrument according to claim 5 , where the barrier comprises a wall, shoulder, or ridge formed in the chamber.
8. A hearing instrument according to claim 7 , where the barrier means divides the chamber into a plurality of sections and at least one of the sections is at least partially filled with a filler material.
9. A hearing instrument according to claim 5 , where the electronic assembly tube comprises a locating spline and the guide channel comprises a keyway conforming to the spline.
10. A hearing instrument according to claim 5 , where the means for carrying sound generated by the electronic assembly to the outside of the housing further comprises a tubular pathway.
11. A hearing instrument according to claim 10 , where the electronic assembly tube further comprises
an assembly receptacle for the electronic assembly; and
means for allowing the passage of sound between the assembly receptacle and the tubular pathway.
12. A hearing instrument according to claim 5 , where the electronic assembly tube further comprises an assembly receptacle for electronic assembly.
13. A hearing instrument according to claim 5 , where the barrier means divides the chamber into a plurality of sections.
14. A hearing instrument for insertion into the ear of a user, the ear comprising an ear canal, comprising:
a housing sized to fit within the ear of the user, comprising a chamber;
an electronic assembly for generating sound for the ear canal of the user, where the electronic assembly is positioned in the chamber;
an electronic assembly tube comprising
an assembly receptacle for the electronic assembly; and
means for carrying sound generated by the electronic assembly to the outside of the housing;
a barrier positioned within the chamber and comprising a guide channel that accommodates the electronic assembly tube; and
a barrier stopper disposed on the electronic assembly tube between the electronic assembly and the barrier, at a predetermined distance from the electronic assembly.